Thursday, January 29, 2009, Part 2
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV).
IDEA: It's important that we be "heavenly minded" in order for us to be of some earthly good.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize that what we hope for in the future affects how we live now.
Have you heard the old cliche, "You can be so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good"?
What do you think that cliche means?
Have you ever met anyone like that?
I. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews would argue that unless you are heavenly minded, you won't be able to live the life of faith on earth.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV).
What do you think the author means by "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus"?
Do you think he means "keep a picture of Jesus on your refrigerator door" so that you will constantly have Him in mind?
Adopt his attitude of faith:
Why use Jesus as the model of the one who ran the race well? Why not the people in Hebrews 11?
Everyone of them had failures even though they had faith. Jesus persevered from the beginning to the end of his sufferings without sin. He did it completely.
What else might Christians look to instead of Jesus?
II. How did Jesus persevere through all that He suffered?
Jesus is the author of our faith. He is the one who has brought us to salvation. He did that through unbelievable suffering (Hebrews 2:9-11).
He will "finish" our faith after He has suffered. He will bring our faith to completion.
He did all that He did for us by trust in the Father and in His will.
Conclusion:
It was because Jesus was so heavenly minded that He could carry out God's will on earth.